on the job
AKECMAKURCHUOTISAFOOTBALLER
ANDMULTICULTURALDEVELOPMENT
OFFICERATAFLVICTORIA.
AstoldtoBrodieLancaster
PhotoPhoebe PowellGrowing up in Kenya was really cool. I was young when we moved
there, to a camp set up to help people transition from war-torn
countries (in my case, South Sudan) to getting a sponsorshiptogo
overseas. My mum had eight kids and I’m number five. We'd finish
school around midday and go home to help with cooking, or carrying
water. We went back and forth between the refugee camp andthe
capital city, Nairobi – we were pretty much always on the move.
They called me the active child – but in the camp, only boys gotthe
opportunity to play soccer. My mum enrolled me in a school inNairobi
so I could get into the different sports they offered. Then, in 2006,we
left Kenya and came to Australia – it wasn't until I went to schoolin
Perth that I learnt there were classes where I could play sport.Itwas
a part of school I really enjoyed. I joined a local mixed soccerteam
and soccer just took over my life. It became a part of me.
Around then, I discovered AFL. The West Coast Eagles were onfire,
so I became a supporter. Years later, when I started playing football
in 2013, there were already established teams for women. I played
for a multicultural team; I was the only girl on ground. I really
enjoyed the dynamic of how a footy team works. I got picked forthe
state team, and the future stars of AFL Women’s – like Chelsea
Randall, Kara Donnellan and Kirby Bentley – were my teammates.
Eventually, I was drafted to Fremantle for the inaugural AFLWseason.
Leavingfamily behind and coming to Melbourne by myself to start
anewjourney with a different club was scary, but at the same time,
reallyexciting. I’d heard amazing stuff about Richmond’s women’s
development program. Sometimes women find themselves feeling
likeoutsiders in footy, but when I'm there, I'm just part of Richmond
FootballClub and everything they do.I’msopassionate about developing the next generation of
multicultural female footballers, which is what I do now in my
full-time job as multicultural development officer at AFL Victoria.
Iworkon a number of community-based programs that are essential
forgetting to the roots of diverse communities and telling them
footy’sfor everyone. We can see that being reflected in the game,
inhowmany diverse groups are now playing at the state and national
levels.It’s really exciting.Thereare a lot of barriers to engaging different communities. Often
peopledon’t want to go to training because it’s scary and they don’t
knowanyone there. I was lucky to have a very supportive mum who
couldpay for my sporting fees growing up. She knew how important
itwasfor me. Now, we fund these programs so the kids can just
comeand play for free, and I’m glad I get to do that for other people.Oneiscalled the All Nations program. To join, children under 15
eitherneed to be born overseas, or have at least one parent who
was.Wefocus on African communities and people from non-English
backgrounds. The kids go to a series of camps, and when they play
gameswe invite talent coordinators to come. We listen to what their
needsare, and might do a professional development session where
welookat employment or talk about mental health. We’ve gone
throughthe same struggles as these kids. I want them to say,
“Iwantto do what she did!”I’vealways been really lucky; I declare what I want, then I get it.
Ifyoujust speak up, people know what you want to do, then if an
opportunity pops up later they’ll think, “What about Akec? She said
shewanted this.” Leadership is not just leading others; it’s also about
leadingyour own journey.nine to five